Mangrove Cuckoo
Coccyzus minor
Slender, long-tailed bird found in shrubby woodland (especially mangroves). Brown above and buffy below with gray cap, black mask, and bold black-and-white pattern on underside of tail. Bill is black on top, yellow below. Similar to Yellow-billed Cuckoo, but note buffy belly, black mask, and no rufous in the wings. Shy; tends to sit still for long periods of time, can be difficult to spot. Song is a series of low croaking notes, gradually becoming longer and lower-pitched. Feeds primarily on insects and small reptiles.
Identification
Adults have a long tail, brown above and black-and-white below, and a black curved bill with yellow on the lower mandible. The head and upper parts are brown. There is a yellow ring around the eye. This bird is best distinguished by its black facial mask and buffy underparts. Although the scientific name is minor (meaning "small"), this species is on average the largest of North America's three Coccyzus cuckoos. Adults measure 28–34 cm (11–13 in) in length, weigh 64–102 g (2.3–3.6 oz) and span 38–43 cm (15–17 in) across the wings. The most common call is a guttural "gawk gawk gawk gawk gauk gauk". It will also call a single "whit".
Taxonomy
The mangrove cuckoo was formally described in 1788 by the German naturalist Johann Friedrich Gmelin in his revised and expanded edition of Carl Linnaeus's Systema Naturae. He placed it with all the other cuckoos in the genus Cuculus and coined the binomial name Cuculus minor. Gmelin based his description on "Le petit vieillard" or "Coucou des palétuviers" from Cayenne that had been described and illustrated in 1779 by the French polymath Georges-Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon. The mangrove cuckoo is now placed with 12 other species in the genus Coccyzus that was introduced in 1816 by the French ornithologist Louis Pierre Vieillot. The genus name is from the Ancient Greek kokkuzō meaning "to cry cuckoo". The species is monotypic: no subspecies are recognised.
- Scientific name
- Coccyzus minor
- Authority
- (Gmelin, JF, 1788)
- Order
- Cuculiformes
- Family
- Cuculidae
- Genus
- Coccyzus
Range and habitat
The mangrove cuckoo is a resident of southern Florida in the United States, the Caribbean, both coasts of Mexico and Central America, and the Atlantic coast of South America as far south as the mouth of the Amazon River. It is found primarily in mangrove swamps and hammocks. The mangrove cuckoo is generally fairly common in its specialized range. This bird could be threatened by human development of mangrove habitat.
- Migration
- Complete migrants
Behavior
It nests 2–3 m (6 ft 7 in – 9 ft 10 in) above water in a mangrove tree or above ground in a fork of a tree. The clutch is usually two eggs. These are white and measure 31 mm × 23 mm (1.22 in × 0.91 in). Both parents bring food to the chicks.<p>It prefers caterpillars and grasshoppers, but will also take other insects, insect larvae, spiders, snails, small lizards, bird eggs, nestlings of small birds, and fruit.
Conservation
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Southern Fiscal
Lanius collaris
A common black-and-white shrike of open country that perches upright. Singles and pairs are conspicuous on perches 1 to 10 meters above the ground in grassland, light and dense woodland, savanna, and modified habitats. They perch for extended periods and swoop down on insects and small vertebrates that they catch on the ground; these are sometimes impaled on thorns and stored for later consumption. The underparts of the similar Northern Fiscal are cleaner and whiter than the dingy gray underparts of the Southern Fiscal.
Yellow-billed Cardinal
Paroaria capitata
A sleek bird with a gray back, white chest and collar, and a bright red head. Immatures look similar to adults, but are brown instead of red. Similar to Red-crested Cardinal, but lacks a crest. Associated with waterside habitats such as forested marshes, flooded fields, riparian scrub and forest, and wooded lakeshores. Relatively tolerant of human disturbance and can be found in waterside towns and cities. Forages on the ground in pairs or flocks. Song is a repetitive ‘chew-wee-chew’ and call is a nasal ‘wee’. Native to South America; introduced to the Hawaiian Islands.
Crow-billed Drongo
Dicrurus annectens
Large dark drongo of open forested environments. Glossy black with a characteristically forked tail. Immature speckled with grayish-white on lower breast and belly. Thick dark bill gives a generally heavier-headed appearance than other similar dark drongos such as Black Drongo, with which it shares parts of its range; also prefers more forested environments than the latter. Aggressive and territorial, particularly during the breeding season, frequently mobbing raptors and corvids with great vigor. Like other drongos, boasts a varied repertoire; songs include a ringing “tsee-goo-gohgee!” Calls include bell-like gurgling notes, harsh chattering, and piercing whistles.
Start Your Bird Watching Journey
Identify a bird outdoors and keep the field guide close for your next observation.